Teikou Girls' Basketball
by Hikaru Yoru
Summary: What if the Generation of Miracles were all girls? Would they act any differently? What if there was no basketball club? Wait…Does this even have to do with anything? Yeah, summaries aren't my forte. Inspired by a comment on a gender-bender fanart. (NOT A YURI)
1. First Quarter: There isn't a Girl's Club

_A/N: Hello. Please Review._

_Disclaimer: As much as I would love to have Kuroko...he is not mine TT...TT_

* * *

**First Quarter**

The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, marking off the start of a new school year. A girl with short light blue hair walks through the gates of the Teiko Academy. In one hand is her book bag, and in the other is a manga. The club rush has already begun. Flyers are strewn all over the floor and club leaders are desperately trying to gain new members.

"Hey, it looks like you like to read!" someone says as the girl walks by, "Why don't you join the literature club?"

"This is a phonebook."

Turns out that the person isn't talking to the petite blue-haired girl at all, but rather the green-haired bespectacled girl behind her.

The person flaps a hand at the green-haired girl, "Phonebooks are fine-Eh? Why do you even have that to begin with?"

She pushes up her glasses, "My lucky item. It's from Ohaasa-nanodayo*."

"Lucky item….?" But what surprises the person the most is: "'Nanodayo'!?"

Her glasses glint, "Do you have a problem with how I talk-nanodayo?"

"No…not at all…"

The petite light-blue haired girl keeps walking, still absorbed in her book. Somewhere behind her, a crowd of people stare at a rather tall purple haired girl.

"Whoa…she's so tall!"

"Is she a model…?"

A girl from the girls' volleyball club runs up to her with pleading hands, "Please join our club!"

The purple-haired girl scratches her cheek, "Eh….I dunno….maybe….." She sighs, "But it's such a pain~."

The petite light-blue haired girl continues walking, unnoticed by all, while behind her a fuss is being made. This time, it's a slender blonde. All the guys who see her can't help but ogle.

"She's so hot!"

"Hell, man, you're right!"

Somewhere down the street, a limo pulls over to the side. A girl with long red hair comes out unassisted. She tosses a stray lock behind her shoulder before instructing her escort, "From now on, do not fetch me to or from school. Doing something like that everyday will stand out. And people will laugh."

"B-but, miss, your father-"

The girl's red eyes slide over to send a baleful glare, shutting up the man immediately, "My father has nothing to do with this." She walks toward the school, "At least let me have my freedom here."

~~())~~

A blue-haired girl slams her foot on her desk before homeroom begins. She's shaking with anger. Next to her, a pink-haired boy tries to calm her down.

"I can't believe…that in a school that's renown for its basketball…" the blue-haired girl clenches a fist, "THEY DON'T HAVE A GIRLS' BASKETBALL TEAM!"

The pink haired boy tries to yank her down from her perch, "Dai-chan…calm down! Everyone is staring…."

She points at him, "So? Everyone should know how pissed off I am!"

"You're flashing everyone your underwear, too…"

His friend scoffs, "Am not. See? I'm wearing shorts underneath."

The boy quickly puts her skirt down, "Don't show everyone, Aomine!"

Aomine hops down from the desk, "That's it, Momoi. I'm gonna do it myself!"

Momoi leans back in his seat and crosses his arms, "Let me guess. Start a basketball club for girls?"

She grins, "Exactly."

The petite girl with light blue hair who sits two rows from them slowly looks up from her book. A book about basketball.

~~())~~

A two weeks later, during lunch, Aomine has her head pressed against the desk. She sighs, "You would think…in a school this large…_someone_ would want to play basketball…"

Momoi pats her on the back, "It's okay. You just need to change your approach a little bit. For instance…stop threatening everyone…"

His friend abruptly jerks upright and leans back in her seat with a huff, "At this rate, I might as well play on the guy's team!"

Momoi sighs, "You know you can't do that."

"Oh, yeah? Just watch me."

"Excuse me…"

Both of them turn to see a petite light blue-haired girl standing next to them. Momoi stiffens while Aomine literally just falls out of her chair.

"Wh-where did you come from?!" demands Aomine.

"I've been here." the girl answers simply.

"Then why didn't you say anything earlier?" challenges Aomine.

"You two seemed busy." she replies.

Aomine straightens her chair before rising to her feet and dusting off her skirt, "So what do you want?"

"I would like to join the basketball club."

Momoi and Aomine stare at her.

"Umm, are you sure?" asks Momoi, trying to be polite.

The girl nods.

Aomine looks at the girl up and down, "No offence, but you look kinda weak,"

"Dai-chan!" reprimands Momoi.

"What?" she says indignantly, "It's true!"

There's a determined glint in the petite girl's eyes, "I've been practicing a lot lately. I promise I won't disappoint you."

"Eh?" exclaims Aomine in disbelief after putting two and two together, "You're the ghost everyone was talking about?!"

"Ghost?" echoes Momoi.

His childhood friend glowers at him, "Don't act like you don't know. Especially since you've been teasing me about it."

The petite girl nods, "I asked the coach if I could use the third string court to practice."

"And he just let you?" asks Aomine skeptically.

"Well…not exactly…." elaborates the girl, "I offered to clean the court. And do the laundry that the others had yet to do."

Momoi stares at her. _Sneaky…_

Aomine blinks, "You help with the laundry, too? How come I never see you?"

"I don't have much of a presence."  
_You don't say…_

Aomine grins as she places her hand on her hip and extends a fist, "Well. I can't say no to someone who's _that_ devoted to basketball. Welcome to the club!"

Before the girl can bump fists with her, a loud thud comes from somewhere outside. Aomine lets out a squeak and immediately uses Momoi as a shield. A tall girl with purple hair enters the classroom, rubbing her head ruefully. She has a stick of pocky in her mouth and a paper bag full of snacks cradled in one arm.

"Umm…I'm here for the basketball club~." Under her breath she adds, "It was such a pain to find you though~."

Aomine peers over Momoi's shoulder, "W-who are you?"

"Dai-chan…stop being a baby." chides Momoi.

"Eh…Murasakibara Atsushi~."

_ That's a pretty long name…_Aomine coughs uncomfortably and straightens, "Well. Umm…ok."

"Eh~. That's it?" inquires Murasakibara, "Okay~. That was easy~."

"We haven't got many members, so at this point, Dai-chan is just desperate." explains Momoi.

"Am not!" snaps Aomine.

Momoi turns to the petite light-blue-haired girl, "We never did get your name, did we? I'm Satsuki Momoi. And that rowdy person here is Daiki Aomine."

"Tetsuya Kuroko." she replies quietly.

Aomine grins and holds up fist, "Just two more members and we can officially play!"

"But first you have to actually _start_ the club." reminds Momoi with a smile.

Aomine stiffens, "Oh. Right."

Kuroko and Murasakibara stare at Momoi, confused.

"Dai-chan wanted to wait until we had a legit amount of members." he explains, "We don't even have an advisor yet." He shoots a disapproving eye at his friend.

~~())~~

"You already did everything and you didn't tell me?!" fumes Aomine.

Once again, the foursome find themselves in the homeroom class during lunch.

Momoi grins, "I don't see why you're complaining. I even-Well, Ms. Zakura, even convinced the coach of the basketball team to let us practice on the third string court."

Aomine is an inch away from his face, "Really?"

Momoi averts his stare and scratches his head, "Er…."

"I knew it." grumbles Aomine as she slumps into her seat, "There're strings attached."

Kuroko looks up from her bento, "So what is the requirement?"

"We at least have to have a complete team."

"Ah, what a pain~." mumbles Murasakibara around a mouthful of maiubo*.

Aomine leaps to her feet, "Two more members. Got it." She begins to march out of the classroom, but freezes when she sees someone leaning against the doorframe. She gulps, "Oh…Hi, Class Rep. I, uh…wasn't gonna threaten anyone…." After a moment she squeaks out, "Swear!"

Seijuurou Akashi straightens and crosses her arms, "Don't worry. I didn't come here to reprimand you for your actions, no matter how conspicuous they are. I came here to help you with your little problem."

"Oh."

Then Aomine fully registers the meaning behind the class representative's words, "Hah?"

"You know two people who want to join?" asks Momoi.

Akashi glances to one side, "The other girl may need some convincing, but yes, I know two other people."

"So who's the girl who doesn't need convincing?" inquires Aomine.

The red-haired girl turns around to leave and looks back at them out of the corner of her eye, "Me." Before any of them can utter any expression of shock, she leaves, but not before saying, "Her name is Shintarou Midorima. You'll usually find her in the library."

The foursome stare at the empty space that Akashi had occupied. Aomine is the first to get over her shock.

She raises a fist to the ceiling, "All right, everyone! To the library!"

The other three mimic the movement, "Yeah!"

~~())~~

Midorima Shintarou pushes up her glasses, "No."

Momoi glances over to one side, "And so quick, too."

"Why not?" demands Aomine, "The Class Rep said that you were interested."

"Actually, she said that Midorima-kun needed convincing." corrects Kuroko.

Midorima's eye twitches, "That little…I told her not to…" She buries her face into a fairly thick book, "I'm not interested."

"Why not?" repeats Aomine with a scowl, "At least give me a legit reason."

The green-haired girl eyes her from over her book, "Who are you people anyways?"

"We're in the same homeroom." replies Kuroko, "I'm Tetsuya Kuroko." She gestures at the others in said order: "He's Satsuki Momoi. She's Daiki Aomine."  
She sighs and returns her gaze back to her book, "I don't remember seeing any of you. As for your question, I much rather focus on my studies. Now please. Leave me alone-nanodayo."

Aomine blinks. _Nanodayo…?_

Momoi points to the stuffed animal next to her, "What's that for?"

Midorima looks at the medium-sized penguin plush, "Today's lucky item."

"Hah?"

She glares at them, "Do you have a problem with that-nanodayo?"

"No…not at all…"

Momoi looks around, "Where's Muk-kun?"

"She's outside eating." answers Kuroko quietly, "Since you can't eat in the library."

He sighs, "She sure eats a lot…"

Aomine glares at the book in Midorima's hands, "What are you even reading?"

"A book on quantum physics-nanodayo."

Aomine doesn't believe her. Well, she doesn't even know what quantum physics mean, but whatever, "Really."

Before Midorima can do anything, Aomine knocks the book out of her hands and onto the table. She grins triumphantly when she sees what's hiding between the covers, "Eh~. What's this?"

"N-nothing-nanodayo!" stutters Midorima as she tries to hide her discomfort by pushing up her glasses.

Everyone else peers at the little scraps of paper with various diagrams and formulas. It kind of looks like possible angles one can make for an effective shoot.

"So you like three pointers, huh?" Aomine finally says.

Momoi blinks. _She actually understood all those arrows….?_

"No!" bursts out Midorima, leaping to her feet indignantly. She even knocks over her chair in the process. The other students near the vicinity immediately hush her. She stiffens and straightens her chair. Midorima sits back down and says calmly, "I do not. Now please leave me alone-nanodayo."

Aomine hands clasp the back of her neck and she glances to one side, "Ya know….if you join the club…you can shoot as many threes as you want."

Midorima's eye twitches.

"But…" continues Aomine, "I understand if you completely suck ass and don't wanna embarrass yourself."

_ You're baiting her…._Momoi thinks disapprovingly.

"I…do not 'suck.'" replies Midorima icily, "You've never seen me play, so you have no right to judge-nanodayo."

Aomine tries her best not to grin, "So prove it."

Midorima shakes with anger as she pushes up her glasses. The lens glint, "Bring it."

Momoi tries his best not to squeak. _Dai-chan…you just provoked a monster…_

"Momoi-san." asks Kuroko, "Why are you hiding behind me?"

* * *

_*Maiubo/Umaibo: "delicious stick" is a small, puffed, cylindrical corn snack from Japan. It is produced by Riska and sold by Yaokin. It has a suggested retail price of 10 yen, but because profit margin is so slim, its length can change without a notice. Its consistency is similar to Cheetos._

_*As you may already know, Midorima has a unique speech style and often adds the word 'nanodayo' to the end of his sentences (or in this case, her). Its characteristic, so that's why I did what I did. Sorry for the awkwardness._


	2. Second Quarter: Maybe I Should Quit

_A/N: Input is always welcome._

_Disclaimer: This marvelous manga filled with beautiful boys does not belong to me._

* * *

**Second Quarter**

"We should kick Kuroko off the team and find a new fifth player-nanodayo." remarks Midorima one day after practice.

Aomine glares at her, "Why?"

"Her physique isn't up to it. It's not compatible with basketball-nanodayo." replies Midorima frankly, "She can't even do a proper lay-up."

"I agree with Mido-chin~." drawls Murasakibara around a mouthful of potato chips.

Akashi wipes the sweat off her forehead, "I told you. Don't eat during practice."

"Eh…but it's not like we're gonna play against any of the other schools~."

"So what if she's a little on the frail side?" snaps Aomine, "You can't tell a person to quit what they love!"

"She's holding us down!" retorts Midorima, "That's why we can't play against anyone!"

Aomine clenches a fist, "Maybe it's your fault for not being a team player!"

Midorima pushes up her glasses, "Face it. She's useless-nanodayo."

That did it. Aomine grabs her jersey. They are nose to nose, "There's no such thing as a useless player."

Momoi runs up to them and tries to pry Aomine's hand off Midorima, "Oi! Don't fight!"

"Tch." Aomine abruptly lets go of the jersey as if the green-haired girl is the most disgusting thing she has ever seen. She marches out of the gym.

And finds Kuroko leaning against the wall right next to the door.

Aomine freezes at the sight of the unshed tears in her eyes. She winces, "You heard that, huh?"

"Maybe I should quit." whispers Kuroko, averting her eyes to the floor.

~~())~~

"I still say we kick her off." mutters Midorima.

"Actually, I agree with Daiki-kun."

All head turn to the speaker.

"Akashi!" protests Midorima.

"I think Testuya-kun has a special skill that is far different than our own." continues Akashi, "However, I also agree with Shintarou-kun and Atsushi-kun. An additional player will be needed. If my theory is correct, Tetsuya-kun's skill will have limited use."

Midorima eyes narrow, "What are you talking about?"

"It is clear that we have the skills to stand against other, more experienced, schools. However, I believe that if they throw us any surprise attacks, we will not be able to retaliate." Akashi crosses her arms, "Now, if we had a sixth player, who can change the flow of the game when we need it most, that concern can be wiped out entirely."

"And you already know what Testu-kun's special skill is?" asks Momoi. He doesn't like the look in the redhead's eyes.

Akashi smiles, "I have a vague idea."

~~())~~

"What do you mean, you wanna quit?" shouts Aomine.

"If…If I'm not suited for basketball, then there's nothing I can do…" Kuroko smiles ruefully, "I don't want to hinder anyone."

"Don't listen to that Midorima chick." snaps Aomine, "You probably already heard me say it, but: There's no such thing as a useless player. I mean it. I refuse to believe that a person who works their ass off-who practices more than even the goddamn boys' first string-is useless." She places her hands on Kuroko's shoulders, "Heck, you've even inspired me to work harder. To push this team to the nationals. Besides, you won't do yourself a favor if you just give up now." She lets go of her, "Well. You better be there for our one-on-one. I'm gonna hit the showers real quick."

As Aomine leaves, Kuroko takes out a black wrist band out of her uniform pocket and holds it close to her chest.

"It looks like Daiki already gave you words of encouragement." remarks Akashi.

Kuroko does not look up.

"Anyways, I am also inspired by the hours you put into basketball." continues the redhead, "And, there's also something unusual about you. This oddity may be your saving grace."

Kuroko remains silent.

"When I look at you, I don't feel anything. No strength, but no weakness either. Transparent is perhaps the best way to describe it."

"You mean my lack of presence." mutters Kuroko.

Akashi also leans against the wall, "You make it sound like a curse. How I see it…it's your strong point."

The other girl looks at her with quizzed eyes.

Akashi notices the expression, "Ah. Let me explain. I think you have a special skill that can be used to help the team in future games. Kind of like a trump card. You just need to find out what it is. In any case, you will not be a useless player. Not in the least."

"Not in the least…" echoes Kuroko.

Akashi smiles a rare smile, "Exactly. Well. I'm also going to take a shower." Before she leaves, however, she adds, "Oh. And don't think of what I said as hints, but rather, a useful suggestion."

~~())~~

ONE MONTHS LATER…  
"HAH?!"

"You got some of the boys' basketball club to play with us?" yells Aomine in disbelief.

Akashi crosses her arms and does the 'lovely spin.' Truth be told, its just a tilt of the head that made the class representative look all the more intimidating, "Technically, it's a joint team comprised of those from both the second and third strings, but yes."

Murasakibara sighs, "Ah, what a pain~."

"Why…?" asks Momoi, "Won't you all be at a disadvantage though?"

Aomine scoffs, "They aren't even the first string. There's nothing to worry about."

Momoi smacks her lightly on the head with his clipboard, "Did I ever tell you that cockiness was one of your downfalls?"

"How did you even talk them into doing something like that-nanodayo?" inquires Midorima.

"I spoke to the captain."

They stare at her. _She bribed him…_

"So when are they coming?" asks Aomine, overflowing with excitement.

"Ten minutes."

"Eh?! So soon?!"

"B*tch…we're still in school uniform!" growls Midorima. _No wonder why you're already in a jersey-nanodayo…._

Akashi smiles, "Then get changed." To the team's manager, she instructs, "When I give you the signal, request a player change."

"How will I know the signal?" he asks, confused.

"Oh, you will know."

~~())~~

Aomine's eye twitches, "Are you…kidding me…?"

Midorima pushes up her glasses, "They really don't take us seriously-nanodayo."

"They're so tiny~." mutters Murasakibara.

The team the boys' basketball club gave them to play with are no taller than 175 centimeters, and are skinny as sticks.

Akashi walks by the club's vice-captain and says without looking at him, "Tell your captain that his side of the deal is off."

Sweat trickles down the poor boy's temple, "Yes." He coughs before announcing, "Due to the number of players available, teams will be that of four."

Aomine's scowl deepens, "Yo, Atsushi."

"Okay~."

Midorima cracks a small smile, "Time to 'kick some butt,' as you put it."

Aomine grins, "Heck ya."

The vice-captain, also the referee, blows the whistle and throws the ball up in the air. It doesn't take long for the girls to take control of the ball. Murasakibara is about a head taller than the boy she's against. She smacks it to the other side of the court before the boy can jump for the ball.

Aomine immediately receives it and dribbles it to the hoop, dodging around all who try to block her. One slam-dunk and the first point is theirs. She sneers at the boys, "Come on! Is that all you got?"

From her seat on the bench, Kuroko whispers, "Something isn't right."

Momoi stares at her, "Huh?"  
By the end of the first quarter, the score is 11-27.

"The chick in the glasses…" says one of the players between pants, "…does ridiculous three pointers…"

Another wipes his sweat with his jersey, "They're all ridiculously strong…Are they even girls…?"

"We can't loose." argues yet another, "We have too much at stake."

"What are they muttering about~?" asks Murasakibara.

Midorima wipes the sweat from her forehead with the back of her arm, "I have a bad feeling about this-nanodayo…"

By the end of the third quarter, the score is 85-73.

Aomine resists the urge to spit in their faces, "What the…?"

"That's not nice~." grumbles Murasakibara in agreement.

"Shit." growls Midorima, "They're desperate. That's why they're playing so f*ing dirty. That b*stard should have been thrown of the court already-nanodayo. He fouled on Aomine six times, for crying out loud!"

"We're going to be the first string, darn it!" one of the main players yells, confirming the girls' suspicions.

"F*ck." curses Aomine, "Not only did they send us weak shits. They sent us desperate weak shits." She sways slightly. _And I hate to admit….but I'm getting a bit light-headed…_

For some reason, Momoi feels a chill run down his spine. He looks up to see Akashi looking at him intently.

_ She wasn't joking when she said that I'll know…_

"Player change for the girls!"

Kuroko and Akashi stare at each other for a heartbeat. Akashi nods slightly, "I await to see your performance."

The petite girl walks up to her teammates and looks them straight in the eye, "I…discovered…that I am a shadow. Therefore, I need your help. Please lend me your light."

Aomine laughs, "I have no idea what that meant, but let's beat these sons of b*tches."

"Do you think you can get me the ball?" asks Kuroko.

The blue-haired girl grins as she uses her jersey to wipe the sweat from her face, "Uh, yeah. They might play dirty, but its still like taking candy from a baby."

The game restarts and one of the male players looks around frantically, "Hey…Where's my mark?"

Aomine already has control of the ball and glances around for Kuroko, all the while keeping the ball away from the opposing side. She clicks her tongue and mutters under her breath, "Even on the court that chick is invisible…" Then, out of the corner of her eye, she sees a familiar head of light blue hair. Immediately, she passes it to her.

Midorima doesn't know that the ball is heading her way until it nearly hits her in the face, "Oi! At least warn me-nanodayo!"

"Shoot, you idiot!" yells Aomine. She also doesn't know what's going on, but what she does know is that no one is blocking the green-haired girl at the moment.

"Tch. You don't have to tell me-nanodayo…" grumbles Midorima.

"S-shit!" exclaims one of the opposing players.

"Where did the ball even come from?!"

After the shot makes it in, Midorima whips around to face Aomine, "And who are you calling an idiot, huh, idiot-nanodayo!?"

"You're the one who stood there like an idiot with the ball in her hands!" retorts Aomine.

"You wore the same expression I did! Be quiet-nanodayo!"

"Hey~." scolds Murasakibara, "Stop fighting~."

The two girls glare at her, "Stay out of this."

"Please go back to defense." requests Kuroko as she runs by, "They have the ball now."

The bickering pair freezes. _Where did she come from…?_

A smile slowly crosses Akashi's lips as she watches the events that are unfolding on the court, "Interesting. So she took that route."

Momoi takes a quick peak at the clock before asking, "What do you mean? And what just happened out there?"

"Misdirection." replies Akashi, "It's like a magic trick. One averts the other person's attention while doing something else, or something like that. It's even more effective on the court because the basketball moves around so frequently. While your eyes and gestures suggest one thing, you actually execute some other maneuver instead."

"Wait…so you're saying that…" Momoi trails off. He can't help but look at the scoreboard again: 90-88. A little over two minutes left for the quarter.

"She _encourages _the other players to focus on anything but her. Where the ball is…which player she is going to pass to….Thus, Testuya-kun diminishes whatever presence she has even further, becoming a phantom of sorts to those on the court." confirms Akashi.

"Is that what you told her to do?"

Akashi shakes her head, "No. I merely guided her down the right track. How she chose to take the suggestions was entirely up to her."

"Amazing." mutters Momoi, "Aomine is already adjusting to Tetsu's basket. They're an incredible duo…At this rate, we might win." A scowl slowly forms on his friendly features, "Or maybe not…"

"We're not letting you score!" growls the male team's ace, "We may not know where the scrawny one is, but we can block the heck out of the person she passes to the most!"

Aomine grits her teeth. She stole the ball, but she's walled in. The sad part is, it is only two people. The even sadder part? If she holds the ball any longer, it'll be considered traveling. Her eyes dart frantically to whoever is open. Kuroko, obviously, but she's too far away. Midorima's a no. She takes in a deep breath and jumps.

"Atsushi!"

The ball is up in the air in a beautiful arch and lands almost exactly into the hands of Murasakibara. From there, the tall girl takes it straight down the court.

"S-shit!" one of the boys grit his teeth and tries to knock the ball out of her hands, "Oh, no you don't."

Murasakibara stares at him with disgust before making a backward pass to Kuroko.

As Aomine struggles to get through the defense, she yells, "Shoot, Tetsu!" Then she remembers how she had to save a shot that didn't look like going in, "Actually, never mind!" She grits her teeth as she tries to outmaneuver her foes, "Tetsu!" _Shit. Atsushi is open again…but what we need right now is a three pointer!_

Time seems to slow down as Kuroko decides who to pass the ball to. Her eyes slide over to Murasakibara and is about to pass when an opposing player appears in front of her, "That ball is mine, little b*tch."

The petite girl says nothing in reply; she just passes the ball in the opposite direction, back toward their side of the court. The boy's eyes widen in surprise. _What…!? How?!_

Aomine grins. _They were so busy worrying about getting the ball they forgot about following their mark._

One heartbeat later, Midorima has the ball and prepares for the shoot.

"She's going to aim for a three from all the way back there?!"

Momoi rises to his feet and takes a quick glance at the clock. Only six seconds left.

Five seconds: The ball leaves Midorima's hands.

Four seconds: The ball flies high into the air in a calculated arch.

Three seconds: The ball makes the descent.

Two seconds: The ball approaches the hoop

One second: The ball goes straight in.

Zero seconds: The buzzer sounds.

92-93

Everyone stares at the scoreboard in shock. Aomine; however, is the first one to recover.

"We won!"

* * *

_In general, I suck at describing action-y scenes. If you have read any of my more serious fanfics, you would know…If there are any good examples out there, please, hook me up with a link!_


	3. Third Quarter: We need a New Player

_A/N: And here's Kise! Please, please, please review!_

_Disclaimer: I do not challenge the copyright._

* * *

**Third Quarter**

Momoi's eye twitches, "This is crazy…"

The group are in a middle of break. They sit in a circle in the middle of the gymnasium and share a small pile of snacks and drinks. Of course, Murasakibara has her own.

"What?" inquires Akashi, "Are the benefits reaped from the deal not enough?"

"They're too much!"

Aomine laughs, "What are you talking about? We get to use the first-string court and borrow some of the funds from the guys. We actually have legit track uniforms and jerseys now!"

"I have to agree with Satsuki, though-nanodayo." mumbles Midorima as she pushes up her glasses, "Immediate qualification for the tournament is a bit too much…"

"How did Akashi-kun manage to do that?" asks Kuroko.

Akashi tosses a lock of her hair over her shoulder, "I have my methods."

The others stare at her.

_ Clearly…_

"Wait." says Aomine, just realizing something, "But how are we supposed to prep?"

"We still have time." points out Akashi, "We simply request from the other middle schools practice games."

"Don't we need a new player~?" asks Murasakibara around a mouthful of food.

Midorima scowls, "Don't eat with your mouth full."

"Oh, yeah….That." mutters Momoi.

"Kise Ryouta-chan?" suggests Kuroko.

Midorima makes a face, "Isn't she that popular model girl-nanodayo? No way." She reaches for a soft drink, "Why would you even suggest that?"

"Because she is a girl with a boy's name." is Kuroko's serious reply, "Like us."

"That's your reason-nanodayo?!" exclaims Midorima with disbelief.

Aomine taps her chin, deep in thought, "Testu has a point, though…."

Midorima glares at her, "Are you kidding me…?"

Momoi smiles sheepishly, "You guys don't even know if she wants to join…"

"Knowing her type, she won't." says Midorima matter-of-factly before taking a sip of her red bean drink, "She'll be even more challenged than Testuya-nanodayo."

Aomine smacks the bespectacled girl upside the head, "Tetsu helped us win the game, if you haven't forgotten. Idiot."

~~())~~

A slender blonde is in the middle of a photo shoot. Just one look and anyone can tell that she is a natural. She executes the photographer's instructions effortlessly and without complaint. During the break, her make-up artist hands her a bottle of water. The girl beams, "Thank you."

Her manager asks, "So, are you in any clubs?"

Kise Ryouta shakes her head, "No…I can't seem to find one that maintains my interest-ssu*."

"I heard that you have your own little fan club…" teases her wardrobe coordinator.

Kise forces a laugh, "Please don't remind me."

* * *

During gym class, the girls are doing mini football** games. The team who scores the first point wins. Her group of followers yell out words of encouragement.

"It's okay, Ki-chan!"

"Don't worry about losing!"

"You're still beautiful!"

Quite frankly, Kise wants to kick all of them in the faces. Who do they think she is? Then, she remembers the image she has to uphold and waves a hand at them, "Wish me luck, girls!"

Fortunately for Kise, she is an expert at making things look like a 'coincidence.' Her team wins in a record amount of time. As her group sings her praises, she can't help but think: _I really wish that I wasn't popular-ssu…_

* * *

After school, she walks by the sports building. Kise has just finished rejecting yet another love confession and is exhausted. She's contemplating on whether or not she should call in sick to the photo shoot.

The door to one of the gyms is open. Inside, a girl with short blue hair makes a jump for a slam dunk. Three people are trying to block her, but even the tall girl with purple hair is no match.

Kise stands there, struck dumb with awe. At the moment, the shortest girl fell to the ground during the attempt, and the girl who made the dunk is apologizing profusely.

"I think I killed her…" she mutters after awhile.

The girl with green hair pushes up her glasses, "Don't be silly. The worst she can have is a concussion."

The blue-haired girl glares at her, "You soulless b*stard." To the girl on the floor, she begs, "Come, on! Get up!" She glances to one side, "Momoi will kill me if he sees you like that…"

The girl with purple hair that reaches her shoulders is silent. Much to Kise's disbelief, she pulls out a bag of American donuts from her jersey shorts.

The bespectacled girl stares at her, clearly disgusted, "Oi! Don't hide food in your pants!"

"Eh…Why not~?"

"Because it's sickening! That's why!"

The blue-haired girl heaves a sigh and gives up. Apparently, she notices Kise by the door because she looks straight at her. Kise immediately bolts around the corner.

* * *

_I lied about the 'maintain interest' part. I really love sports. I've been playing ever since I was in elementary school. Of course, back then I could pass as a boy, no problem. Now…not so much…_

_ Oh. And I have another secret:_

_ I can copy anything at first glance._

* * *

Kise tucks her hair into a black beanie and glances around at her surroundings furtively. She has a duffle bag over one shoulder and is wearing a baggy white T-shirt and black jersey shorts. When she doesn't see any familiar faces, she takes in a deep breath and steps onto the public basketball court. She sets her duffle bag next to the hoop and takes out a basketball.

Kise dribbles the ball in-between her legs several times and makes a shot from the free throw line. It goes in. Kise then shoots some lay-ups; even a few three pointers. When that's through, she tries out a few complex moves that she saw on the internet.

All of them are even better than the original.

She takes in a deep breath and tries to copy the slam dunk she saw that girl do a few days ago. The image registers in her mind. The dribble to the hoop…that high jump…the quick behind the back switch of the ball to the dominant hand…and the forceful dunk itself.

Twenty minutes later, Kise throws the basketball to the asphalt in frustration and wipes the sweat from her forehead. As it rolls away, she mutters through gritted teeth, "Why…? It's much more simpler than the ones on internet….Why can't I copy it-ssu?"

The ball comes to a stop when it hits the sneakers of an athletic girl with blue hair, "Oi. Is this yours?" She blinks, "Eh? You're the girl who was peaking at us the other day!"

Kise stiffens, "How did you know it was me…?"

The girl shrugs, "Lucky guess." She passes the ball to her, "So you like basketball? Name's Aomine, by the way."

Kise catches it and tucks it underneath her arm, "Not really. I've never played it until just now-ssu."

Aomine stares at her. When she finally finds her voice, she exclaims, "Really?! But it looked like you played basket for….forever!"

Kise shrugs, not wanting to brag since if makes for a bad first impression.

Aomine sees the duffle next to the hoop, "I'm on my way to practice right now, actually. Wanna join us?"

The other girl shakes her head, "No, thank you-ssu."

"Eh?" Aomine frowns, "Why not? You looked like you were having a kick outta shooting."

"Well….it's true that I was enjoying myself more than I usually do, but…" she pauses. _Why did I even say that…?_

Aomine grabs her by the arm and drags her off the court, "You're coming."

"Eh? Don't I get a choice-ssu?! O-Oi! Wait, my stuff!"

~~())~~

Kise heaves a sigh. So in the end, she ended up joining the club. However, these people are more than just a little weird.

The girl with purple hair, whose name is Atsushi Murasakibara, is obsessed with food. When not playing basketball, she tends to be somewhat of an idiot. For a girl who is obsessed with academic excellence, Shintarou Midorima, the girl with glasses, is obsessed with 'lucky items' and just luck in general. She looks up horoscopes every. Single. Day. Aomine Daiki looks like a yakuza*** member at first glance, and a stereotypical athletic, but she can be a chicken sometimes. Satsuki Momoi acts more of girl than a boy sometimes, and Testuya Kuroko is really no better than a ghost. More than once Kise didn't know that the girl was there until she nearly walked into her. As for Seijuurou Akashi…she is a complete mystery beyond the intimidating aura she radiates. Oh. And it is clear that she is the one in charge.

Of course, Kise lost her little group of followers. They all felt betrayed at her 'sudden turn to tomboy-ism.' Not like Kise is upset over the loss. Those girls are all mindless supporters, just begging for something to brag about. When their idol changes her colors, they object vociferously and drop her off their list of friends. Completely superficial.

Unfortunately, she couldn't shake off the boys the same way. In fact, her joining a sport club only made her more 'hot' in their eyes. Boys are so stupid.

"Kise-kun." says Kuroko as she waves a hand in front of the taller girl's face.

She blinks, "Oh. Yes?"

"Akashi-kun is calling us to the gym for a meeting."

"Oh. Okay. Sorry about that-ssu."

~~())~~

"HAH?!"

Aomine plops herself down on the bench and crosses her arms, "What's wrong?"

Kise stares at her in disbelief, "What do you mean 'what's wrong'-ssu?! You're asking me to play on a boy's basketball team!"

"So?" Aomine can't see why she's complaining so much, "We did it."

"Yeah~." chimes in Murasakibara.

"B-but…." Kise protests feebly.

"We're making this a new tradition." explains Akashi, "And it won't just be you. Tetsuya will be with you."

Kise stares at the shorter girl. _Okay. I know that I can pass as a guy…but Kuroko-chan-ssu…_

Midorima pushes up her glasses, "The thought process is: If we can beat a boy's team, beating a same gender team will be no issue-nanodayo."

"Um…but wouldn't that mean that we'll be playing rough in those games, then…?" asks Kise weakly.

Akashi dawns on a thoughtful expression, "Hm…You may be right."

"Hah?! You never thought of that-ssu?!"

~~())~~

Midorima harrumphs as they watch their teammates trail behind the boys' second string and mutters, "What do you mean by 'new tradition'?" She glares at Murasakibara, "And will you stop dropping crumbs on me?"

"Oh…sorry~."

"You don't sound sorry at all!"

"You all _did_ do it at one point and time, though…" Momoi quips weakly.

"Hey, Seijuurou." says Aomine. She stretches a bit before asking, "So what's the real reason?"

Akashi looks at her, "What do you mean?"

"Tetsu already played a game with the third string." elaborates Aomine, "Why send her out again?"

Akashi smiles, "Well, as you have already stated during practice the other day, Ryouta seems to underestimate Tetsuya's abilities. I just thought that this was the best way to introduce her to Tetsuya's skill."

~~())~~

Kise double checks if her beanie is securely fastened on her head and lets her bangs fall in front of her eyes. Her gaze slides over to Kuroko. Surprisingly, the petite girl managed to look somewhat like a guy…and she only tied her hair in a simple low ponytail….

The manager looks at them with distaste, "Tch. Having to play with girls…What's the basketball club coming to?"

One of the nicer boys smiles and gives them with a quick wink, "Actually, I don't mind. They make my world brighter."

His teammate smacks him on the head, "You suck at pick-up lines, so spare yourself the humiliation."

Another mutters under his breath, "That was a pick up line…?"

Kuroko smiles, "It must be nice to play on a team like this."

Kise stares at her, "But aren't we already on a team-ssu?"

"We haven't played officially yet." explains Kuroko, "Joining second and third string games are only meant to put our feet in the water."

The taller girl tilts her head to one side, "For what?"

"The pressure."

The manager stands in front of them and points to Kise, "Hey, you. You're playing in the second half."

"What about me?" asks Kuroko.

All the boys stare, "Eh?! Who the heck are you?!"

Kise can't help but snicker.

"Tetsuya Kuroko."

The manager blinks, "Err….yes….You'll….be subbed in when we need it." He leafs through the papers on his clipboard and mutters, "And just what can you do…?"

~~())~~

Score: 69-79

Even with Kise and her ability to copy key plays, the second string team is still losing. This is mainly due to the biased call of plays. The manager grits his teeth, "I figured that this would happen…but still…"

"Teikou time out!"

The manager massages the bridge of his nose, "Okay…we have one quarter left. I hate to admit, but Ryouta is our best bet right now. So-"

"Excuse me."

"Eh?! Where did you come from?!"

Kuroko is as impassive as ever, "I've been here."

The manager sighs irritably, "Right. So what do you want?"

"I would like to play, please."

The main players stare at her. The manager takes a quick glance at his clipboard before relenting, "Fine. Matsumoto. Sub with him."

On the court, Kuroko informs Kise, "I am a shadow. Therefore, please lend me your light. Let us win this match."

"Ohhh….kay…" The taller girl blinks. _I have no idea meant…but it sounded a bit cool-ssu…_

Fifteen seconds later, the ball magically comes flying at her face. Lucky for Kise, she has fairly good reflexes and doesn't get hit. For about two seconds, everyone stares at the ball in shock. Kise, too, before realizing that she can shoot.

"W-where did that come from?!"

"It came out of nowhere!"

Kise stares at the shorter girl in awe. _So this is what she can do…_

A tall guy from the other team bumps into her, "Oops. Sorry about that, princess. Enjoy the point while you can. You're still gonna lose."

Kise eyes narrow as she rubs her arm. She is just going to take the threat lying down when she remembers that she has nothing to hide right now. A creepy smile crosses her lips, "Eh..heh….We'll see about that."

~~())~~

A second before the quarter ends, Kise makes another dunk, courtesy of Kuroko's basket. When her sneakers hit the polished floor of the court and the buzzer sounds, she grins wolfishly at the opposing team, "Is that the best you can do? Who's the sissy, now, eh?!"

Score: 85-81

Kuroko walks up to her, "Kise-kun is a lot like Aomine-kun."

Kise jumps nearly half a meter into the air, "Yeesh! Don't scare me like that-ssu!"

* * *

_*Yeah, same with Midorima, Kise has a unique speech style….ssu…_

_**In America, because everything has to different from the rest of the world, we call it soccer._

_***yakuza: Japanese mafia (criminal organization)_


	4. Fourth Quarter: We Can't Lose

A/N: I need girl OCs please. And suggestions... Review!

Disclaimer: I don't own this marvelous manga/anime. Second episode come out already!

* * *

**Fourth Quarter**

The last bell of the day rings and the students of Teikou Middle School file out of the school's gates. Kise weaves her way through the crowd, trying find some familiar heads of hair. Her eyes light up.

"Aominecchi, Kurokocchi!" Kise calls as she tries to catch up with them.

"Hello, Kise-kun." greets Kuroko.

Aomine scowls, "Stop waving your hand already. We see you." Her scowls quickly transitions into a grin, "So I see that you finally acknowledge Tetsu, now."

Kise links arms with them, "Of course! Kurokocchi is an amazing player!"

"Please don't call me that." requests Kuroko.

Kise pouts, "But I always add '-cchi' to anyone I look up to."

"We're the same age."

"If that's the case, then why do people call Akashicchi '-sama'?" challenges the taller girl playfully. She smiles, "So. How about some ice cream? It'll be on me." She glances around, "Where's Murasakibaracchi and Midorimacchi?"

_ Murasakibacchi…._thinks Aomine, _That's a mouthful…._

"They left a little bit earlier than us." explains Kuroko, "But they're probably already at the convenience store."

Kise nods slowly, "I see. How about Momoicchi?"

"He's busy scouting." answers Aomine, "But he usually meets up with us at the convenient store."

"You didn't ask for Akashi-kun." points out Kuroko.

Kise smiles sheepishly, "Well, it's just that…Akashicchi is usually busier than the rest of us." She sighs playfully, "Hopefully, we will catch her when she's free. Then we can play the King's Game!"

~~())~~

"HAH?!"

The girls are in the locker room, preparing for another gruesome practice.

Midorima scowls, "Oi. Stop overreacting over everything-nanodayo."

"B-but!" protests Kise, "That's totally unfair-ssu!"

"Are you implying that we suck?" Aomine asks peevishly, and smacks the back of the blonde's head without waiting for a response.

"N-no…" objects Kise, ruefully rubbing her head, "….but it's completely unreasonable-ssu!"

Akashi crosses her arms, "You know as much as I do that the team motto is victory. Therefore, we-"

"But that's the boys team's motto~." points out Murasakibara.

Midorima glares at the tall girl, "Stop eating with your mouth full. It's-"

"It's bad manners~." interrupts Murasakibara, still eating with her mouth full.

"Why, you?!"

Kise holds up her hands for peace, "Guys, don't fight…." She sighs discreetly, _Why do their personalities have to be polar opposites-ssu…?_

Akashi closes her eyes irritably and continues, "Anyways, as I was saying, the motto is "Victory is everything." Therefore, it applies to us as well."

"But if you guys lose, you'll have to stop the club!" protests Momoi.

"Then we will just have to win." says Kuroko quietly.

The class representative inclines her head slightly, "Exactly. Now, to address another matter of importance: We have several girls who desire to join our ranks."

Aomine's head perks up, "Really?"

"Shinjuu Arisa, Takanaka Rei, and Takimu Nagisa. Enter."

Kise sighs, _And Akashichii is as authoritative as ever…._

Three somewhat tall girls enter the locker room with nervous smiles.

"The assessment is fairly simple." continues Akashi. She pauses for a heartbeat, "Get the ball past Atsushi." She points at the tall purple-haired girl.

Murasakibara looks up with dismay, "What~?" One scathing look from Akashi makes her relent, "Okay~…Fine…."

The poor victims stare at the abnormally tall girl, all thinking the same thing:

_ Are these people for real?_

"Isn't that a little too drastic?" asks Aomine.

Akashi's eyes slide over to the taller girl, "Would you rather the assessment be a one-to-one game with you? And you can't hold back, either."

Aomine scowls, "Fine, fine."

~~())~~

"They suck-nanodayo." grumbles Midorima moodily from her seat on the bench.

Kuroko looks up from her book, "Well, it is fairly difficult to get a shot in when Murasakibara is on the defensive."

Kise winces sympathetically, "Tell me about it…"

"Eh~ Is that all you got?" asks the tall girl, "Oi~ Aka-chin, can I stop now? They're starting to bug me…"

It appears as though the three girls just completed a marathon. Sweat drenches them and they seem to have trouble breathing. Akashi sighs.

"Fine. End of assessment."

The three girls exchange glances. The tallest one speaks up, "Thank you so much for setting aside time to assess us, but…"

They all bow.

"We quit."

Akashi stares after them and lets out a sigh when the gym doors click shut, "I was afraid of this."

Midorima scowls after them, "They were weak and not worth our time."

"Actually, that wasn't my concern." corrects Akashi.

Murasakibara lets out a long yawn before asking, "Then what is it….?"

"We're too strong. It's been proven more than once in all the practice games we have participated in." Before anyone can reply, she continues, "I, personally, don't mind, but if we are to get more girls to join the club, we need to look less…"

"Intimidating?" suggests Aomine.

Akashi inclines her head slightly, "Yes. We need more members to sub in and out during a game. Playing two games a day will take a toll on our stamina, even with the breaks that are provided in-between. Do you disagree?"

Midorima's eye twitches, "No."

"How about we adopt the boy's regimen?" proposes Aomine, "Momoi can get his hands on it, for sure."

Kise's eyes narrow, "But what about Kurokocchi?"

"I'll be fine." Kuroko replies, "I say we follow Aomine-kun's suggestion."

"Does anyone hold any objections?" Akashi does not wait for a response, "Then it is decided. Momoi."

"All right, all right…" Momoi sighs, "You girls are crazy…"

~~())~~

"Kuroko! Don't throw up, now-nanodayo!"

"My aplog-BLEH!"

"Kurokocchi! Midorimacchi, you should know better than to make people talk while they're

in the middle of puking-ssu! Go get a mop!"

"Don't boss me around!"

Aomine smacks the back of Midorima's head, "Just do it."

Momoi scribbles down something on his notes, "Testu-kun, I'm cutting down the regimen for you."

Kuroko wipes her mouth with the napkin Kise gave her and slowly staggers to her feet, "No…I want to be on the same level as everyone else."

"B-but!" Kise and Momoi protest at the same time.

"If Tetsuya can't handle this level of rigor now…" says Akashi heartlessly, "she might as well sit on the bench the entire time."

"Akashicchi…could you not be so cold for once in your life?" asks Kise sheepishly. She pats the shorter girl lightly on the back, "Do you wanna sit down? I'll go get you some water."

Kuroko shakes her head, "No. Please, let us continue."

Kise's eyes crinkle with worry, "Kurokocchi…."

"It's time for a break anyway." announces Aomine unceremoniously as she ruffles Kuroko's hair, "I'm starving!"

Kuroko stares at the taller girl, "Aomine-kun…"

"Me too~" seconds Murasakibara.

Midorima sighs irritably, returning from putting back the mop and bucket, "When are you not hungry…?"

Akashi scowls at her subordinates, "Not yet. We still have-"

A loud gurgle interrupts her and Akashi's face slowly turns pink.

"EH?!"

"See~" Murasakibara drawls after a period of silence, "Aka-chin is hungry, too~"

Kise hops forward and holds the shorter girl's hands, beaming widely, "Oh! So Akashicchi has some human characteristics after all!"

"I-diot!" exclaims Midorima, "Do you wanna die-nanodayo?"

Aomine nudges Kuroko with an elbow, "You know, I never heard the Class Rep's stomach before."

Kuroko nods in agreement.

Momoi sighs, "It's just a stomach growl…"

Akashi tries to recompose herself, "F-fine. We'll take a twenty minute break."

"All we need to hear now is Akashi burp and fart, and she'll be completely human!" laughs Aomine. Her laughter dies on her lips as she realizes that everyone is staring at her with wide eyes, "What?"

"_That_ was a death wish…" mumbles Midorima as she pushes up her glasses.

"Poor Aominechi…"

"Daiki." orders Akashi, "Come here."

The expression on the class representative's face could wither a flower.

"Errr…haha…." Aomine slowly backs away, "I'd rather not…."

Akashi takes a step forward, "Now, Daiki…you know better…."

"N-now…Akashi…you know that I was just joking around with you…."

She smiles, "No matter."

Aomine turns to Momoi, "Satsuki-"

Momoi walks out of the gym, but not before informing his childhood friend: "Sorry. You're on your own."

Aomine's screams could be heard from a mile away.

~~())~~

_All-middle. The equivalent of the Inter-High for high schools, it is an event that takes place every year in August that enables a middle school basket club to claim the title of the strongest. Only twenty-four school are allowed to compete, including the prefecture holding the event, plus the other twenty-three that were able to advance from the nine block divided area qualifier._

_ The form of this tournament is to first conduct a qualifier league, creating eight groups with three school in each group. In each group, only the top two ranked schools are allowed to advance to the final tournament. In this final tournament, the one school that has managed to win and advance to the next round until the very end claims the championship._

_ With this, you have an idea why it is necessary to hold two matches a day. Six matches in three days. Only the one school that manages to survive this harsh battle until the end will be allowed to call itself of the middle school's strongest…._

~~())~~

"Uwwaaah….I'm hungry~." mumbles Murasakibara.

Midorima clicks her tongue, "Already?"

Murasakibara represses the urge to yawn, "Well~ the ceremony was long…"

"I guess you're right…" Midorima mutters while pushing up her glasses, feeling her own stomach growl.

"Worry about food later." orders Akashi, "We have bigger issues to contend with."

"Why-ssu?" asks Kise as the group makes a right turn.

"We essentially came out of nowhere." she explains, "We also qualified for the tournament in an unorthodox manner."

"And if you didn't forget, Kise, we can't lose." added Aomine with a determined glint in her eye.

Momoi shakes his head fondly before realizing something, "Uh, guys….is this even the right way to the locker rooms?"


	5. Overtime (Bonus Quarter)

**A/n: Sorry for the lack of update. Major writer's block...This story's gonna end in the next chapter...I think...****Forgive any spelling/grammar errors...**

**Please review!**

* * *

EXTRA QUARTER:

(AKA: Writer's Block)

Kise's eye twitches, "How did it turn out this way?"

~~())~~

A day earlier:

Aomine peers at the flyer in Kise's hand, "A street basketball tournament?"

Kise grins, "Yup. Since we have a few days off before All-middle, I was thinking that we can have a little fun."

Murasakibara made a face, "By playing even more basketball?"

Kise deflates a little, "W-well…I'm not saying that you have to come. It's just if you're interested."

Kuroko looks up from her book, "So what does the tournament entail?"

The blonde perks back up again, "There are several events, actually. There's kinda like an All-Star thing where you can sign up for different kind of shots and get compared with other shooters to see who has the best technique-"

"Like a contest?" interjects Aomine.

Kise nods, "Uh-huh. Or you can compete. There's one-on-one, three-on-three, and five-on-five. Umm…So is anyone interested?"

"No." drawls Murasakibara.

Midorima pushes up her glasses, "Sorry, but I have plans that day." She needs to perfect her technique before the more important All-Middle.

Akashi sighs, "I would like to have joined you, but I have a formal dinner I must prepare for." She makes a face.

Kise forces on a smile, "T-that's okay. I understand."

Aomine slings an arm around the blonde's shoulders, "I'm in!"

Kuroko places down her book and smiles, "Me too."

Her smile turns into a genuine one, "Sweet!"

~~())~~

Present time:

Kise's eye twitches in response to the scene in front of her, "How did it turn out this way.?"

"Hah?!" exclaims Aomine, "What did you say?!"

The girl with the weird eyebrows tucks her basketball under her arm, "I told you. People in Japan can't play basketball." She grimaces, "Everywhere I look there're a bunch of weaklings."

Kise forces on a smile and tugs Aomine on the arm, "Eh, why don't we go somewhere else? Besides, our next match is in a few minutes."

"I agree." says Kuroko quietly, "You shouldn't let someone like that get the better of your temper."

Aomine ignores her friend, brushing off Kise's hand, "Huh. Typical Returnee. Let me guess. America?"

"Yeah. So?"

In a flash, Aomine steals the ball from the American. She dribbles it with a smirk, "I'm gonna beat you into a bloody pulp."

A creepy smile crosses the other girl's face, "That's my line."

Kise raises a hand in feeble protest, but settles on covering her face instead. She groans.

Kuroko pats her lightly on the shoulder, "It's okay. Aomine was tense to begin with. If she lets it all out now, she'll be able to play her best during the tournament."

Kise sighs, "I guess….But doesn't make that an excuse to kick people off their own court!" She points an accusing finger at the two girls on the nearest court to them, "They're disrupting the entire event…."

"I suppose they are. I shall cool Aomine down, then." Kuroko extracts a water bottle from her bag.

Kise holds the shorter girl back, "Never mind!"

Kuroko can be extremely scary when she's mad.

The American throws her jacket underneath the basket and rolls up her sleeves, "So what are the rules?"

"Simple." replies Aomine as she dribbles the ball, "First one to make a basket wins."

The other girl smirks, "Too simple."

Aomine shrugs, "I guess. Oi! Kise! Start it for us."

"Okay…" the blonde slowly makes her way to the court.

"Faster!"

"Yes!"

However, before Kise can throw the ball up into the air, Kuroko hands her a whistle. The taller girl smiles and puts it around her neck, "Thank you Kurokocchi, I'll-"

"Just throw it!" yelled Aomine and the American.

Kise pouts, "Fine, fine."

The whistle blows.

Aomine reaches for the basketball, but her opponent has better timing. Fortunately for Aomine, although she did not know it at the time, her opponent only liked to do dunks and lay ups.

Kuroko holds out a hand, "Kise, may I please have my whistle back?"

"Hah?! You mean I can't keep it?!"

After Kise finally relinquishes the whistle back to its rightful owner, she observes the scene in front of her with wide eyes, "What…what's with this fast pace? They're all over the place! I've never seen Aominecchi play like this before…Whoa!"

Aomine had tried to make a basket from an abnormal angle, but her opponent blocked it all the same.

Kuroko stares at the two girls on the court impassively, "Momoi-san told be that Aomine-kun used to play this style of basket before entering middle school. From the looks of it, the other girl knows how to play it, too. This won't be a simple a game."

"Hah? Why not?" inquires Kise.

"It's been almost five minutes now, and neither one of them can even make a shot, let alone get the ball close to the hoop." explains Kuroko, "Both of their defenses are strong. At this rate, this might just end up as-"

"A draw." finishes Kise.

The American grits her teeth as she wipes the sweat from her forehead. _Okay. So maybe I might have underestimated this girl. I didn't expect her to know…_

Aomine pants hard, methodically dribbling the ball from one hand to the other. _This chick is an American, all right. She knows…_

Street ball.

Aomine is about to make a mad dash to the basket when someone bodily lifts her up by the t-shirt. The ball rolls off the court as Aomine struggles to release herself from the grip, "Hey! What's the big idea?!"

The event coordinator lifts her so that they are eye to eye, "That's my line. This court is in use. If you girls have something to settle, do it in one of the other events."

The American walks over to the hoop to gather her things, "I'm good."

The mad had placed Aomine back down and she spits, "What? Quitting already?"

"No." replies the other girl, "I'm just bored of it now."

"Hah?!"

Kise makes a face at the little mound of saliva before tugging on the taller girl's hand, "Aominecchi, stop it already! We're already in trouble because of you."

"Yes, Aomine-kun. Please stop." agrees Kuroko.

Aomine gulps. The tone that Kuroko is using is exactly the same as Akashi's, "Okay." She coughs and addresses the returnee, "But don't think that this is over. If we ever run into one another again, we're gonna pick back up right where we started!"

The other girl doesn't bother to look back, "Whatever."

Aomine holds up a fist, "Why that little….?!"

"Aominecchi!" Kise tries her best to hold the blue-haired girl back, "Calm down!"

The event coordinator sighs, "I need to call your parents. You just interrupted the five-on-five event by using this court."

"Hah?" exclaims Aomine and Kise.

"But I didn't do anything!" protests Kise.

Aomine stares at the blonde, "Some friend you are…" She blinks as she feels someone brush past her, "Huh? Testu?"

Kuroko bows to the event coordinator and apologizes. What happens next leaves Kise and Aomine in a state of disbelief:

The man blushes a deep red, "Uh…well….I….uh….Fine. I'll let you girls off. But if it ever happens again, I won't hesitate. Run along now."

Once the man is out of earshot, Aomine mutters, "Pedophile."

Kise tugs at Kuroko's arm, "Come on, guys, let's go before he comes back…"

"Yes."


End file.
